Teesta megaproject being restructured to add water conservation: PM's info adviser

The Teesta
megaproject is being restructured to address the long-term water crisis in
northern Bangladesh, Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Adviser
Zahed Ur Rahman said today (19 May).
Speaking at a
press briefing in the Press Information Department's conference room at the
Secretariat, he said the revised project will incorporate effective water
conservation measures alongside flood and riverbank-erosion control.
Speaking in
his capacity as adviser to the Joint Rivers Commission, Zahed said the key
issue raised during discussions with the prime minister on the Teesta
megaproject was that the project should go beyond flood and erosion control to
include water storage for use during the dry season.
He stated that the
current project plan involves confining the Teesta River within a width of
approximately 800 metres, increasing its depth through dredging and protecting
its banks, measures he said focus primarily on flood control and erosion
prevention.
"Riverbank
erosion and flooding are both major problems in the Teesta basin. But the
project does not have an effective water storage mechanism like the Padma
barrage. Yet during the dry season, the Teesta faces a severe water
shortage," he said.
He added that
the prime minister has rightly questioned why a water storage arrangement
similar to the Padma barrage, which stores water during the monsoon for dry-season
use, should not be incorporated into the Teesta project as well.
The PM's
adviser said the project is accordingly being restructured to include new water
conservation and utilisation measures.
"That is why it is taking some time. But we hope the public will
understand this restructuring is being done to implement a more effective and
integrated project for the long-term well-being of the people," he said.
















